Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and Rooms goes to New World

#1

Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and Rooms goes to New World

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:39pm

News in the NY Times ArtsBlog.
Birdie, Laughter and Rooms

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Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

#2

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:42pm

Aw....at least "Rooms" sounds great.

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Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

#3

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:42pm

I'm looking forward to seeing Leslie Kritzer in a new musical!

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"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

#4

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:44pm

Rooms was great! I saw it at metrostage and I think Leslie Kritzer will fit the role perfectly!

#5

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:45pm

extremely excited about Birdie!!! i'm doing the show right now and I'm falling in love with it...yay Strouse.

#6

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:45pm

Oh my God! Victor Garber back on Broadway, I can't believe it, most exciting theater news of the year so far. I can't believe he agreed to committing to a Broadway show again, he has said he was more or less retired from doing any sort of 8 show a week schedule. So so so happy that he'll be performing the Noel Coward play on Broadway. I'm sad that his TV shows post-ALIAS haven't lasted but glad that this means we get him back on stage. I'll be sure to see this.
So I guess SIDESHOW is a no-go, but it means we're finally getting BYE BYE BIRDIE. Paging Andrea Burns.

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#7

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 2:47pm

I think she would be a perfect Rosie

#8

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:21pm

Oh my lord! This is fantastic news! Victor Garber, my my my such a big fan. Have dates or anything been posted yet on these production?

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I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"

#9

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:25pm

Kritzer will be great but poor Natascia Diaz. Hasn't she been involved since its creation?

#10

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:26pm

Here's hoping that Eric McCormack will play Albert Peterson!

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"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

#11

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:31pm

Wouldn't it conflict with his new series?

#12

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:50pm

I am so glad BIRDIE is finally happening...

But no word on MERRILY yet? I'm getting nervous..

#13

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:52pm

And I guess we can assume Dancin' is dead in the water?

#14

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:54pm

If we get Birdie AND Merrily, I could care less about Dancin'. And I love Fosse.

#15

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 3:56pm

There's no need for a Dancin' revival.

I imagine Merrily will be announced shortly. I just hope it doesn't get stuck in Studio 54.

#16

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 4:06pm

I saw PRESENT LAUGHTER in Boston's Huntington Theater 2 years ago. Victor Garber was great, so with Brooks Ashmankas- would love to see him get cast too. though he did the same Brooks' over the top like in THE RITZ. I remember the sets by Alexander Dodge was fantastic, so with the costume design. Nicholas Martin directed the Boston production which I am guessing it will be the same production on Broadway. (like what they did with some transfer from Huntington)

The set (art deco inspired)


Photos from the Productions:
https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/news/photo/presentl.aspx

Updated On: 1/25/09 at 04:06 PM

#17

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 4:11pm

I actually like Studio 54. I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up there (Sondheim-in-a-box...again) and they had Birdie reopen the Henry Miller, or the American Airlines.

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Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

#18

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 4:13pm

Additional photos from PRESENT LAUGHTER (2007) in Boston's Huntington Theater

Updated On: 1/25/09 at 04:13 PM

#19

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 4:47pm

Brooks looks great.
He'd make an incredible Mr. McAfee.
Mary Testas as Mae?

#20

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 4:54pm

Where else would Merrily go?

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I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"

#21

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 5:03pm

I guess this means so Side Show. I also happen to HATE Bye Bye Birdie, so now I'm banking on Merrily...

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I know you. I know you. I know you.

#22

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 5:24pm

The American Airlines. Though I'm sure Studio 54 seems more likely.

Birdie is a definite for the Henry Miller.

#23

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 5:25pm

But no one has seen a full scale Broadway production of BIRDIE, unless you were alive in 1960. So it's hard to judge the show by numerous community theater and high school butcher productions. Yes, I know there was a famous tour and several regional productions, but it hasn't been on Broadway since 1960.

Updated On: 1/25/09 at 05:25 PM

#24

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/25/09 at 5:33pm

Birdie is one of those shows that people hate either based on the awful original film (which butchers everything wonderful about the original script) and the fact that it has kids in it. Or, as ljay said, seeing amateur productions. Though my High School did a top notch production that made me fall in love with not only Birdie but musicals in general.

I'm just glad Kathleen Marshall isn't directing.

It is one of the most delightful of the Golden Age musicals with choice parts for everyone. I hope they don't do a hack job on the book.

#25

re: Roundabout Birdie confirmed, Present Laughter with Garber announced and

Posted: 1/27/09 at 1:30am

In its' original run at the Martin Beck Theatre (now renamed), BYE BYE BIRDIE was one of the hardest tickets to come by. Both Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera were great in this show but the other actors both young and older ones had major careers launched as a result of this show. The book, the score and the incredible orchestrations that were played by much larger orchestras in this era are unmatched. You can't judge this show by the movies (both wide-screen and television versions), because they don't come remotely close to the original Broadway production. If Roundabout does this as a period piece and casts it correctly it will be a landmark revival. I think they will use very high production values and it will surprise everyone. Very exciting.